From Here On Out
by piratewench78
Summary: In honor of the #NashvilleWedding, an AU wedding story.
1. Chapter 1

_**I had wedding fever after the show and decided to write a wedding themed one shot, set back at the time Rayna found out she was pregnant. I decided to take things in a little different direction, with a different wedding scenario altogether. Hope you like it.**_

 _ **~2010~**_

Rayna looked up when Deacon opened the bedroom door and walked out. She took her headphones off and smiled. He smiled back and walked over to her, sitting down next to her on the love seat. He leaned in and kissed her, pulling her in close. "How long you been out here listening to that?" he asked softly, against her lips.

She laughed a little. "I couldn't sleep, so I just got up. I didn't want to disturb you with tossing and turning." She grabbed his arm and grinned. "I'm so happy with this record. I think it's going to be great."

He raised his eyebrows and smirked. "Oh, yeah, it's gonna be really great." He kissed her again quickly and stood up. "I'm gonna go to a meeting. There's one not far from here."

She stood up as well, putting her arms around his waist. "You'll be back for sound check, right?"

He nodded. "Plenty of time."

She smiled up at him. "I'm so proud of you, you know that? I don't know if I tell you enough."

He shook his head and smiled shyly. "It ain't hard, not when I got you and the girls counting on me. I won't ever let y'all down."

She leaned into him, running her hands up his back. He put his hands on her shoulders. "I know." She breathed in. "Going on eleven years."

He nodded. "I couldn't have done it without you, Ray. Without you believing in me." His eyes got misty and he worked his lip. "It was the hardest thing I ever done, but getting to be there, when Maddie was born, well, that made me realize it was something worth doing."

She smiled at him, feeling her emotions bubbling up. "It was all I ever wanted, babe, you know that," she said softly. She kissed him again. "Well, go on ahead, so you can get back."

He grinned. "I'll see you soon." And then he walked out the door.

She sat back down and picked up her headphones, but she didn't put them back on right away. She leaned back and considered how far they'd come. Their anniversary was coming up in a few weeks and she thought every year that passed reminded her yet again that she'd made the right decision that weekend she was supposed to marry Teddy Conrad. Just then she heard her computer ping and she walked over to it, smiling when she saw it was her girls wanting to Skype. "Hey, y'all!" she cried out happily. Even though they talked every day, sometimes more than once, she missed them so much when she was out on the road. Now that they were both in school, they stayed back in Nashville most of the tour schedule. She was so happy to see their sweet faces.

"Hey, Mom!" Daphne cried.

"Hey, Mom!" Maddie chimed in. "We miss you!"

"I miss you too, babies," she said. "Both of you."

"Is Dad there?" Maddie asked.

"No, he's gone out for a bit. He'll be sorry he missed you." They had decided the girls still weren't quite old enough to understand alcoholism and AA meetings and all that went along with that, so they were somewhat vague about his attending meetings. "What's going on? Are y'all being good for Paw Paw?"

"Yes, but he's so strict, Mom," Daphne whined, a pout on her face. "He won't let us watch but one hour of TV."

She laughed. "You don't get to watch but one hour at our house either," she said. "He's just doing what we say."

Maddie rolled her eyes and sighed. "Whatever. Anyway, you and Dad are gonna be home in time for your anniversary, right?"

She nodded. "Yes, we are. Why?"

Daphne giggled. "It's a secret!" she shouted.

"Be quiet, Daph," Maddie chided, turning to frown at her sister. Then she looked back, the frown replaced with a plastered on smile. "No reason, Mom. Just checking."

Rayna smiled to herself. "Well, you know, girls, all we really want is just to be with the two of you," she said.

"Isn't Dad gonna take you out to dinner someplace special?" Maddie winked.

Rayna laughed. "I don't know. You know your father isn't much for fancy places. I do think he wants to take me to the cabin for one night, though. Y'all okay with that?"

Daphne frowned. "If we can stay with Aunt Tandy instead of Paw Paw, we are."

Rayna acted surprised. "Paw Paw might have his feelings hurt if he heard you say that."

Maddie sighed. "I think he's always glad for us to go home. I think we're too ran…runb…something."

Rayna laughed. "Rambunctious?"

"That's it!" Daphne cried. She made a little 'O' with her mouth. "Oh, and Mom, Maddie's birthday is coming too. Will you and Dad be here then too?"

Rayna knew one day it might raise questions for Maddie that her birthday was so close to their wedding anniversary, but at least for now she didn't seem bothered by it. "Of course we will. We would never miss y'all's birthdays," she said. "When we come home in three weeks, we'll be home until y'all are out of school."

"I am so glad, Mom," Maddie said, sighing like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. "I'm so ready to go home."

Rayna could see Daphne jump up and run to the bedroom door. She opened it a crack, then turned towards the computer screen. "Maddie, it's lunch time, let's go!" she called out.

Maddie looked back a second, then turned back to Rayna. "Bye, Mom, we love you," she said.

"Bye, Mom, we love you!" Daphne yelled. "Tell Dad we love him too!"

Rayna laughed. "Bye, sweeties! I love you both! And Dad loves you too. Talk to you soon." And then the screen went black.

* * *

After she'd talked to the girls, Rayna walked over to her purse and pulled out her wallet. She opened it up to the two pictures she carried with her everywhere. One was a family Christmas photo, taken when Daphne was just two and Maddie was six, that was used on the cover of Country Weekly that year. She and Deacon were normally very private with their personal lives, but that year they'd opened the door just a crack and shared some of their family Christmas traditions, along with a dozen other country music families. That their photo had been chosen to grace the cover of the magazine had been both exciting and a little more than they normally liked. They tried to keep their daughters mostly away from the public part of their lives, hoping to give them a more normal childhood. But it always made her smile to see the picture.

She and Deacon were sitting shoulder to shoulder, her arm linked through his. She always thought he looked incredibly handsome in that picture, with his crisp white shirt and black denim vest. He was holding Daphne on his lap and she was laughing and clapping her tiny hands. She had on a cream colored sweater with lots of gold and crystal bling on it, which had been her favorite for several years until one of the girls had thrown up all over it and it had been ruined. But on that day, it gave off a nice, Christmas-y look. Maddie was sitting next to her in her favorite red velveteen jumper and white top, a match to Daphne's outfit. She'd begged not to have to wear her glasses for the photo and Rayna was still struck by how beautiful her oldest daughter was, even at age six. She ran her thumb lovingly over the picture and smiled to herself.

Maddie looked so much like Deacon, with her dark hair and blue eyes. Even her personality was like her father's, serious and introspective. She'd inherited his talent as well, taking to the guitar as though she'd been born to it. Daphne was more like her, with her light colored features and her sunny disposition. Her favorite things to wear were covered in rhinestones and sequins and her youngest loved traipsing around the house in her stage outfits. She smiled again. Her perfect family.

Then she shifted her eyes to the other picture, the one of her and Deacon the day they got married. The happiest day of her life. She had to laugh at how she'd insisted, when they'd had that single picture taken, that she arrange the flowers to cover her almost eight months pregnant belly. It wasn't like they'd hidden the fact she was pregnant when they got married, but she wanted to at least have the appearance of a normal wedding photo. She'd always been grateful that she gained all her weight in her stomach, so, with the flowers, someone looking at the picture would never have been able to tell. And Deacon. Oh, her sweet man. He looked so handsome that day, so happy.

She pulled the wedding photo out, then sat back against the couch and curled her legs up underneath her. She thought back to the weeks and months that had led up to that day, almost eleven years earlier.

 _ **~1998-1999~**_

Rayna looked out the window without seeing what was passing her by, as Tandy drove them to the bridal shop. She felt a little queasy, but it wasn't from the periodic morning sickness she had, but the whole idea of this wedding. She hated to feel this way, because Teddy was being so sweet and caring. Even after she'd very gently told him it was unlikely this baby was his, he had taken a minute to compose himself and then offered to marry her. She'd been surprised at the offer, and initially turned him down, but he'd persisted, telling her he loved her anyway and that he would help her raise this child in a loving, normal environment.

She had thought long and hard about that. Deacon hadn't remembered anything about the night they'd spent at the cabin that had resulted in this baby. When she had gone to see him with the idea of telling him she was pregnant, after she'd found out, he was drunk and out of control. Reluctantly she had come to the realization that trying to build a life with an alcoholic who couldn't stay sober wasn't conducive to raising a family.

She still hadn't wanted to put it on Teddy, but she came to realize he offered her a safe place to land. He was a good man, with a good heart, and she knew he would love her and her baby. So she had finally said yes and then they planned the wedding for four weeks later, when she'd be almost fourteen weeks pregnant.

She'd sent Deacon to a rehab facility in the North Carolina mountains with a long-term program. He'd be gone six months. It would be his fifth try at rehab and she'd asked Coleman to tell him, when he drove him there, that the only way he could get back in her band was to complete the program and commit to making it work. She had very little confidence he could do it, but she hoped he'd take it seriously.

The wedding was in two weeks, at the country club, and she still didn't have a dress. She'd been uninterested in that, uninterested in anything, truth be told. She had moved out of her little apartment and into the small Tudor-style bungalow Teddy lived in, in an old, quiet neighborhood in West End. She was glad he worked all day, so that she could be alone with her thoughts. She cried every day, missing Deacon, angry that he'd put them in this position, and strangely disengaged about her impending wedding and marriage.

"Sweetheart?" Rayna realized Tandy was talking to her and turned to look at her sister. "Are you okay?" Tandy asked, looking concerned.

Rayna shrugged. "Yeah. Just a little tired, I guess."

Tandy smiled encouragingly. "Well, hopefully a little dress shopping will perk you up. We need to find something today."

Rayna smiled back. "I know. We will. I promise."

* * *

She had hated all the dresses. Well, that wasn't completely true. There had been a lovely off the shoulder gown, that hugged the body and had a delicate lace overlay, that she had stood in front of, running her hand over it. It was stunning, just the kind of dress she could see herself getting married in, but then she ran her hand down over the slight swell of her belly, knowing she couldn't wear a dress like this, even if it were available. She ended up with a perfectly nice one shoulder gown with a flat bow on the shoulder. It was off-white with a touch of lace on the bodice. It covered her stomach discreetly.

As she'd stood in that dress, looking at herself in the mirror, Tandy standing behind her, she'd started to cry. Tandy had thought it was because she'd loved the dress and she hadn't corrected her. But all she could think about was that she was going to be marrying someone other than Deacon, that she was going to be letting another man raise Deacon's child, and that she and Deacon were pretty much done, no matter the outcome of his rehab.

She felt more and more alone and despondent as the days passed. She felt disloyal every night as she lay in bed next to Teddy and every time he made love to her. She'd wanted to push him away, but she'd forced herself to smile and say all the right things, all the while feeling more and more unhappy.

She spent the night at Tandy's the night before the wedding. She lay in the bed in Tandy's guest room and thought about her wedding the next day and the life she would have after that. She thought about Deacon, away in a rehab facility, not knowing she was getting married, not knowing she was pregnant. She was sure a lot of what she was feeling was hormones, but suddenly she knew there was no way she could marry Teddy Conrad, no matter what the future held. It felt wrong.

* * *

She left the brief letter for her sister on the kitchen table. By the time Tandy would read it, she would be halfway to Knoxville, on her way to North Carolina.

 _Tandy, please tell Teddy I'm so sorry, but I just can't do this. I can't mess up his life, just because mine is messed up. I don't think I can hide the truth from Deacon, but I'm not sure what to do next. I just know for sure this marriage wouldn't be right. I need some time. I'll call you soon. Love, Rayna_

As she drove, the sun started to rise over the mountains ahead of her. She put on her sunglasses as she sped over the highway. She had a change of clothes in her trunk and printed directions to the rehab facility on the seat beside her. She knew visiting hours were only on Sunday, so her plan was to find a place to stay nearby and buy the things she needed. Then she would go see Deacon and decide what to do when she did.

As she got farther and farther away from Nashville, she felt the tension seem to slowly leave her body. The weight that had seemed to be riding on her shoulders all but vanished. When she stopped outside of Knoxville to take a break, she turned her phone on. There were many messages from Tandy and from Teddy. She felt a wave of sadness wash over her as she thought about how hurt Teddy would be. He was a sweet, kind man, but she didn't love him and she knew she never would and that was no way to start a marriage. She had no idea what might happen with Deacon, but she knew marrying someone else and pretending he was her baby's father wasn't what she needed.

* * *

The town that was near the rehab facility was a typical small town. It had a small, quaint town center area with some shops, a few restaurants, a bank, lawyer's offices, and a bookstore. It was apparently the county seat because there was also a county courthouse at the center of town. There was a small park, nicely shaded, with benches and a multi-purpose swing set/play area, as well as several churches. The homes along the tree-lined streets were well-kept, neat homes. It made her smile. A short walk from the bookstore was a bed-and-breakfast. She parked out front and walked up the steps of the pretty Victorian home onto the porch. She noticed there was a porch swing and it reminded her of the porch swing at the bungalow in East Nashville, where she and Deacon had lived. She felt a lump in her throat thinking about sitting on that porch swing, making out with him.

She shook her head and took a deep breath and then opened the door, walking in to a lovely foyer, with dark wood floors and pale gray walls. "Good afternoon," came the cheery voice of the middle-aged woman sitting at a desk in the corner. She stood up. "May I help you?"

Rayna walked towards her and smiled. "I'd like to get a room, if you have one," she said.

"Well, certainly. How long do you need it for?"

Rayna thought about that. She wasn't sure how long she'd be here. A lot would depend on how things went the next day with Deacon. "Two nights," she said. "But maybe a little longer. I'll know more after tomorrow."

The woman smiled. "We're not real busy right now, so there won't be a problem if you want to extend your stay." She extended her hand. "I'm Lydia, by the way."

Rayna took her hand. "Hey, Lydia. I'm…Alisia Wyatt." She'd decided to use her middle name and birth name so that it would be easier to remember. She had no idea whether people here would know who Rayna Jaymes was, but she didn't want to take any chances.

"I have a lovely room on the second floor that I think you'll like, Ms. Wyatt. It has a very comfortable queen sized bed and a little balcony, which is shaded, and would be nice this time of year."

Rayna smiled again. "That sounds perfect. Thank you."

After she got her bag from the car and the key to the room, she made her way up the steps. Lydia was right. When she opened the door to the room, she was enchanted. It had a beautiful sleigh bed with a wedding ring quilt and an abundance of soft pillows. There was a small sitting area with a love seat and a club chair, covered in an understated floral fabric. The balcony was as advertised, with a small white iron table and chair. The adjacent bathroom had a beautiful claw foot tub. She stretched out on the bed and immediately fell asleep.

* * *

After she woke and then stopped at the local diner for a light dinner, Rayna stopped by the bookstore on her way back to the B&B. She picked out a light romance novel and then walked back. She chatted for a few minutes with Lydia, who told her there was a nice breakfast in the morning, and then she walked up the stairs to her room.

She locked the door and then changed into her nightgown. She sat on the loveseat, stretching out the length of it, and turned on the floor lamp so she could read. After a few pages, she realized she wasn't concentrating, and she set it down. She was feeling a little guilty about running out on the wedding and picked up her phone, turning it on. More messages from Tandy. She took a deep breath and called her sister.

"Rayna, where the hell are you?" came Tandy's agitated voice when she answered.

Rayna shook her head. "Hello to you too," she said.

"Seriously, Rayna, where are you? And what possessed you to run out on your wedding?"

"I think I was clear in my letter. And I'm not telling you where I am. I need some time to think."

"Are you with Deacon?"

Rayna sighed. "Deacon's in rehab, Tandy, so I could hardly be with him."

Tandy was quiet for a moment. "Sweetheart, I'm sure we can fix this," she said finally. "And I'm sure Teddy will still be here when you get back."

Rayna bit down on her lip. "Tandy, I'm not going to marry Teddy. It's not the right thing to do. I'll figure this out, for me and for my baby. I just need some time. Can you give me a little bit of time to think about it?"

Tandy sighed. "Of course I can, sweetheart. How long do you think you'll be gone?"

"I don't know. As long as it takes, I guess."

"Will you please stay in touch?"

Rayna smiled to herself. "I will. I promise."

When she disconnected the call, she put her hand on her stomach and looked down. She had decided she probably wouldn't tell Deacon about the baby the next day. She wanted to see how he was doing, find out how the program was going, and how committed he was to it. Then she'd decide on her next step. Of course, all that could be turned on its head, the minute she laid eyes on him.

* * *

Rayna dressed carefully the next day. She was fourteen weeks along and already showing a bit, but the full top she wore, that gathered along her hips, disguised that. She wasn't planning on getting close enough to Deacon for him to feel that, so she felt safe in being able to keep it quiet. She drove to the facility and sat in her car for a moment, breathing in and out. She was nervous, but also excited to see Deacon. She had thought a lot about what Cole had told her, after he'd come back from bringing Deacon here. He'd told her she needed to let Deacon go, move on with her life, that if he was going to get better, he needed to do it without her.

She thought about that and whether it was true. She supposed he had always had her to come back to, when things went bad. At least until she'd left the house and fired him, it was true. It was always disappointing when he relapsed and he was always sorry and contrite, but the truth was that each time he fell back into the cycle, it got worse. This last time it had been so bad he'd regularly had blackouts. Sometimes it would just be hours he couldn't recall, but there were periods of time where it would be days. It was the reason she'd wanted to put him in a long-term program, hoping he could learn new habits, new ways of dealing with his addiction.

For a moment, she thought about driving back to the B&B, getting her things, and heading back to Nashville. _Why am I doing this? I haven't been able to save him before, why do I think a baby will make the difference?_ And maybe it wouldn't. Maybe all she could do was just make sure he knew he was going to be a father, just so her conscience was clear. Then she could move on with her life. She put her hands on her stomach, wondering what she should do. _Maybe this will be the thing that makes the difference._

She'd come all this way. And she wanted to give him a chance. She opened the door to the car and got out, then walked up to the entrance.

* * *

She'd been directed to the visitor's center and she sat on the edge of a chair while she waited. But almost immediately, she couldn't sit still, so she got up and started to pace. There were other patients and their visitors in the room, a low buzz floating through the room. She kept looking at the door that came from the residences, waiting. Finally it opened, and there he was. He looked around, a confused look on his face, and then his eyes landed on her. She could see the mix of surprise and then happiness that crossed his face then, and she smiled.

He hurried over to her. He started to take her in his arms, but she put her hands on his biceps and kept him just far enough away. He smiled, his eyes glistening with tears. "Ray," he whispered. "I didn't know you were coming."

She smiled again. "I just decided. Is it okay?" He looked good. Rested, his eyes clear, his skin color normal. His hands weren't shaking, he looked like the man she always wanted him to be. She took a deep breath as she took him in.

He nodded. "Yeah, yeah, course it is." He looked around. "You wanna sit down?"

"Yeah, that would be great." He took her hand and led her to two chairs, over near a corner. She felt a quiver of excitement, as he threaded his fingers in hers. _I've missed this._ When they got to the chairs, she sat, and then he sat in the chair opposite her. He looked at her, smiling. "What made you decide to come?"

"I wanted to see how you were doing," she said. She smiled hesitantly. "I wanted to see you." She kept her purse in her lap and fidgeted with the strap. "How are you doing here?"

"Good, good." He leaned a little forward. "I'm so sorry, Ray, for everything."

She shook her head. "I just want you to get better, Deacon. It's _important_ that you get better."

He nodded. "I know. And I'm gonna do it this time. I promise." She couldn't help but wonder. He'd made promises every other time, promises he couldn't keep. But it _was_ more important this time. She wanted him to be able to do this for their baby. "I know everything's at stake this time, Ray. I know I promised you a thousand times I could do this and I didn't. But this time it'll be different."

"How do you know that? Why is this time going to be any different than the last?"

He bit down on his lip and looked away. "I wanna make you proud of me, Ray. You been there all that time and I disappointed you." He looked back at her. "This time I ain't gonna do that." He breathed out. "It ain't gonna be easy, but I'm determined. I gotta do this."

* * *

When she got back to the B&B, she was drained. Part of that, she knew, was being pregnant. She'd been more tired lately. But she and Deacon had talked for hours, like they hadn't really talked in years. About his journey, but also about the future, performing together, being able to write together again. Reminiscing, memories of the old days. She had left feeling encouraged, that he really seemed to be ready to make this time work.

She laid down on the bed and wondered what to say to him about the baby. How to tell him. What would come next. She couldn't forget the pain of being with him. The doubts, the uncertainties, the fear and terror of not knowing where he was. Or not knowing if he was alive. She had lived on the edge for so many years, terrified of not knowing where he was, but afraid he'd resent her if she hovered too close. She'd cried until she'd made herself sick, spent more sleepless nights than she could count wondering where he was or sitting beside him in a hospital room.

 _There's no crystal ball, my sweet girl. You have to throw caution to the wind and follow your heart. It's the only thing that matters._ She felt tears spring to her eyes as she remembered those words of her mother's. She'd said some variation of that, to Rayna and to Tandy, for years. It had become her mantra, the words she'd always lived by. Until she'd seen those two pink lines on the pregnancy test and thought that following her heart was what had gotten her there and that maybe listening to her head would serve her much better in the end.

* * *

Rayna decided to stay, but she wanted a space of her own, so Lydia had recommended someone who could find her a small place where she could stay for as long as she needed to. She drove to Asheville and bought herself some clothes and then she moved from the B&B to the small little two bedroom bungalow on a quiet street three blocks off the main thoroughfare. She'd called Bucky and told him where she was, knowing he would protect her privacy. Her album would drop within weeks and they would just have to see how it would perform without her doing any publicity.

The next Sunday, she again dressed carefully, then drove to the rehab facility. Deacon again looked surprised to see her, although not as surprised as the week before. He leaned in to kiss her cheek, although she still didn't let him get too close. "Why are you here again?" he asked, as they sat at opposite ends of a couch. "You checking up on me?"

Rayna shook her head. "No. I wanted to see you. I do want to see how you're doing, but I'm not checking up on you."

"Don't you got an album you need to promote or something? You can't keep coming over here." He frowned.

She shrugged. "I'm taking a little break right now. I, well, I wanted to be able to spend some time with you, so I'm renting a little place near here."

He raised his eyebrows. "I don't get it. Why would you do that?"

She sighed. "You're important to me, Deacon. I've realized lately just how much. I mean, I love you. That hasn't changed."

He shifted in his seat and moved a little closer to her. "But I thought you was dating that Teddy Conrad."

She nodded. "I was. But now I'm not." She made a face. "Actually, last weekend, when I came here, I was supposed to be in Nashville marrying Teddy. But I changed my mind."

He looked stunned. "What? I don't understand."

She breathed out and then looked down at her hands in her lap. "Well, he was going to do that. Marry me. And I was grateful, really, but it just didn't feel right." She looked up at him.

He frowned. "I don't get it, Ray. You make it sound like it was some kinda business deal or something."

She sighed. "I guess it kind of was." She paused and bit her lip. "Deacon, I'm pregnant. That's why Teddy and I were gonna get married."

He didn't say anything for a minute, just looked at her. "I don't get it then," he said finally. "If he's the father…."

She interrupted him. "That's just it, he's not. You are."

He looked like he'd been punched in the gut, struggling for air. "How is that even possible, Ray?" he asked, finally. "We been broke up for months."

She fidgeted with her hands. "Actually the fact you don't remember is exactly how it's possible. We were together, at the cabin, and then you got drunk. That's how it's possible." She tried to be gentle, because she knew that would hurt him.

He looked like he was gasping for air. His eyes looked a little wild as he looked at her, struggling for understanding, trying desperately to remember something. "I don't know what to say," he said.

She looked at him encouragingly. "I think we just move forward from here, Deacon. We're going to be parents and I hope we can figure out how to do that together. That's why I want to be close by."

He moved closer to her and took her hand. "Should _we_ get married or something? I wanna do right by you, Ray. Whatever you need."

She squeezed his hand and gave him a tiny smile. "I think we can take some time to figure it out. I don't want to do something that will hold you back here. I want you to really do this right, make this work, so you can be a real father to our baby."

He breathed in. "So, how far…."

"Fifteen weeks. Pretty soon I won't be able to hide it. Another good reason to be here. I can be off the grid and you can work on this program and we can see how things go."

He ran his eyes over her, as though he was trying to figure out how he'd missed seeing it. He was breathing in and out. Then he looked at her and frowned. "So here's what I don't get. You said you were gonna marry Teddy, that he was gonna _do_ that for you. Why did you tell him and not tell me?"

This was the part she knew would be hard. She pulled her hands gently away from his and folded them in her lap. "I was going to tell you, when I found out. I went to tell you, but, well, when I found you, you were drunk. You were at the cabin and you were out of control and drinking. I was scared, Deacon. I mean, I was pregnant and I knew it had to be yours, but I was scared. I was scared to raise a baby like that, so I decided not to tell you then." She took a deep breath. "I talked to Teddy about it and he knew I was scared and he offered to marry me and raise the baby as his own." She could see Deacon getting angry. "But I couldn't do it, Deacon. It wasn't right. I wanted to give you a chance."

He scowled. "So you woulda not told me? Lied to me?" He started to stand up, but she reached for his arm.

"Deacon, please. I made a mistake. I'm trying to make it up to you. I came to talk to you about it. It didn't sit right with me and so I'm trying to make it right." She swallowed hard. "I know you're hurt that I didn't tell you first, but I want you to think about the future, not the past. Think about our baby and about raising him or her up together."

She was glad to see the anger start to dissipate and then she saw all the emotions playing across his face, as his eyes got wet with tears. "I wanna do the right thing, Ray. I do. I love you, baby."

She felt tears in her own eyes. She moved closer to him and took his hand and laid it on her stomach. She smiled at him. "That's our baby," she whispered.

He laughed and cried at the same time as he let her hold his hand against her. Then he leaned in to kiss her and she moved her hands to wrap them around his neck, running her fingers through the hair on the back of his neck. He slid his hands around her waist, pulling her closer. She melted into him as she felt his lips against hers and his tongue tangled with her own. _I've missed this so much._ He finally pulled his lips from hers, almost reluctantly, leaning against her forehead. "Thank you, baby," he whispered. "Thank you for telling me."

She smiled and then laughed. "I want us to do this together, babe." She brushed his lips with hers. "I love you so much," she whispered, and then let him kiss her again.

"I love you too, baby." He breathed in. "We're gonna do this, Ray," he said. "I'm gonna be right by your side. I promise."

* * *

As the days and weeks went by, Rayna felt more certain she'd done the right thing in telling Deacon about the baby. She'd been afraid the days between visits would stretch out long and hard, but soon she was filling them up, first with phone interviews with radio stations, which Bucky had arranged so that they didn't lose momentum on her album, and she'd started participating in the family program at the rehab center. She met with a counselor privately to talk about how to support Deacon in his sobriety and she and Deacon met with her once a week to start to build the family foundation they would need once he left rehab.

She also made several trips to Asheville to buy clothes for herself and then to start buying tiny baby clothes. Her doctor had recommended an ob/gyn in the Asheville area and she had her first appointment a few weeks after she had arrived. When she went to visit Deacon the next Sunday, she had the ultrasound picture in her hand when he came into the visitor room. She held it out to him before he could even kiss her.

"What's this?" he said, looking at the picture with confusion.

She grinned and pointed. "That's our baby, Deacon," she said. He stared at where she was pointing. "Our baby girl."

He looked up at her and a grin crossed his face, as tears filled his eyes. "A girl?" he said. "We're having a girl?"

She nodded. "Yeah." She pointed again at the picture. "That's our daughter," she whispered.

He laughed out loud and then he put his arms around her, picking her up and twirling her around in his excitement. She laughed along with him and then he stopped, letting her slide down to the floor, and he found her lips, kissing her deeply. "Thank you," he said, finally, against her lips. His eyes filled with tears again. "Thank you for all this."

She put her hand on his cheek. "I want you to get well for her. I want you to stay well for her. This is important, Deacon. For her. For us. I need you to do this with me. I _want_ you to." He nodded. "I love you, babe."

He leaned down and kissed her. "I love you too, Ray," he whispered.

* * *

It was late November, just after Thanksgiving, and Rayna was sitting at the little kitchen table, having a cup of tea. She and Deacon had had their joint counseling session the day before and, for the first time, it had been stressful and hard. The reality of their situation was beginning to chafe, at both of them, but at Deacon most of all. He wasn't free to be with her, to do the things most expectant fathers would do, like go to doctor appointments with her and prepare for the baby to come. He'd asked her again about getting married, but she didn't want to do that as long as he was in rehab, and he didn't want to wait. She still didn't know for sure that's where they would end up. A lot would depend on the rest of his time in rehab. And he wanted to be close to her, make love to her, but that wasn't possible, which actually made them both grumpy.

She felt the baby kick just then and she smiled, putting her hand on her belly where she could feel it. Deacon had gotten to feel that the day before and it had made him wistful and then angry with himself for not being able to be there for her. They had argued and then he had withdrawn, the way he often did when things got tough. But before she left, he'd pulled her close and kissed her, whispering how sorry he was.

Her phone buzzed then and she saw it was Tandy. She hesitated for just a moment before answering. "Hey, Tandy," she said.

"Hey, sweetheart. How are you?"

She sighed. "I'm good. Everything's good."

"Everything good with the baby?"

"It's perfect."

"So, are you coming home for Christmas? Or ever?"

She made a face. "I'll be home eventually. But this has been really good time away for me. I'm really clearing my head and figuring out what's next."

Tandy was quiet for a moment. "Are you where Deacon is? I know you put him in rehab again. Is that where you are?"

Rayna didn't like the tone she heard in her sister's voice. "Tandy, don't you worry about where I am. I'm safe. That's what matters. And I'm taking care of the baby. We're both getting some peace, which is exactly what we need."

Tandy made a little hmph noise. "Well, I thought I would tell you Teddy's seeing someone new."

Rayna rolled her eyes. "That's nice. I'm glad for him."

"It's his old college sweetheart, Peggy somebody."

"I'm glad he's moving on." And she was. She felt more committed to Deacon as each week passed by and everything that had gone on with Teddy seemed so far in the past. She rarely thought about him anymore.

"When will you be home, babe?"

Rayna sighed. "Before the baby's born. I promise."

* * *

The Sunday after Christmas, Deacon was in a foul mood when he met Rayna in the visitor's center. Her own emotions were very close to the surface, after spending Christmas Day alone, missing him. It was a cold day and the brand new cashmere sweater she'd bought felt snuggly warm as she waited for him. But when he came through the door, she could see the dark scowl on his face, and that made her nervous. "Hey, babe," she said, with a tentative smile on her face. He said nothing, just gave her a quick kiss, and then sat down. She furrowed her eyebrows as she sat beside him. "What's wrong?"

He breathed out and then he looked at her. "Everything, Ray," he said tersely. "Everything is wrong. Me being in here and not with you, that's wrong."

"You don't have much longer…."

"I'm good, Ray. I don't know what six more weeks is gonna do that hadn't already been done. I need to be out of here, be with you. Getting ready for this baby. I'm missing everything." He looked at her and the anger in his eyes turned to sadness. He slid closer to her and rested his hand on her belly. "I'm missing all of this."

She sighed and then she covered his hand with her own. "No, you're not, Deacon. I'm right here, with you. I came here to stay so you could be part of this."

He shook his head. "I see you two times a week. I'm not getting to go to the doctor with you or help you get things ready or hold you at night or tell you you're beautiful when you think you're not."

She smiled at him. "How did you know that sometimes I just feel fat?"

He smiled back and kissed her. "I know you, baby." He frowned again. "But I don't wanna miss any more. I can do this, Ray. Tell them to let me out so I can be with you."

"Deacon, the deal was that you stay here the full six months."

"But that was before I knew you were pregnant. You told me when you first came here you needed me. And I need you too. Especially now. But I can't do that when I'm in here."

He huffed and then stood up, walking over towards the window, his hands on his hips. She got up and walked over to him, standing behind him and putting her hands on his arms. "You can do this, Deacon. You _need_ to do this. I know you feel like you're missing stuff, but in six weeks, I'll still be pregnant. There's still so much we'll have to do to get ready for her. And you'll be there for all the really important things, like when she's born."

He turned around and took her hands. "Marry me, baby. Please marry me. Now."

She shook her head. "I'm not going to marry you in a rehab center. I don't want to do that."

He breathed in and looked at her with immense sadness in his eyes. "Do you want to marry me at all?" he asked.

She had thought about that a lot in the time she'd been in North Carolina. There had been a time when that's all she'd ever wanted. But things had gotten hard and she had questioned that. And yet, when he'd asked her at the cabin that night when she'd gotten pregnant, she'd said yes, because, in spite of everything, she loved him fully and completely. But now that there was a baby, she'd had to think carefully about that, about whether that was the right thing, for her and for their daughter.

She had watched him closely, every time she visited, every joint therapy session, listening for evidence that he was going to make this work. They'd talked a lot about what he was going to do once he was released, how he would make this time work when he couldn't do it before. The reality of their baby had figured heavily in those conversations and she very much wanted to believe that his commitment to their daughter would help him stay sober for the long haul. She knew it was a risk, though, that it would probably be a long time before she relaxed about it, and that even then there were no guarantees.

She looked deep into his eyes and then she smiled. "Yes. I _do_ want to marry you. When you leave here, I want to marry you," she said.

He looked at her as though he couldn't quite believe it and then a smile crossed his face. He reached for her and pulled her in as close as he could and kissed her hungrily.

* * *

The day they got married dawned cold but clear. There was still snow on the ground from the snowstorm that hit the area the day after Deacon was released from rehab. Rayna had been there, waiting for him, and had taken him back to the little house she'd been staying in. They'd hardly noticed the snow falling, as they'd spent most of the next two days getting reacquainted. He'd been fascinated with all the changes in her body, but mostly he was just happy to be able to love her the way he'd wanted to ever since she'd first come to see him.

She was standing in the tiny bathroom fixing her hair when he came in and kissed her on the cheek. "You look beautiful, baby," he said.

She turned to look at him, dressed in jeans, a white shirt, and a black vest. She smiled up at him. "You look very handsome," she responded. She reached her hands up to his face and pulled him to her for a kiss.

He rested his hands on her hips. "We're really gonna do this, huh?"

She nodded. "Yeah, we are."

"Are you happy, Ray?" he asked.

"Very happy," she answered, with a smile.

He took a deep breath and then let it out. "Baby, from here on out, I'm gonna do right by you. I'm gonna love you the way you deserve and be the best man I can be for you and our girl."

She felt tears spring to her eyes as she gazed up at him. "I know you are. I can't wait to be your wife." Then he leaned in and kissed her softly and she knew she'd never been happier in her life.

* * *

It had been a very simple ceremony at one of the local churches. Rayna had let the minister's wife take one picture of the two of them. They had stopped for lunch and then went back to the house and, undressing each other quickly, had wrapped themselves up in the sheets and each other. She thought it could not have been more perfect than if they had had a large wedding with everyone they knew and a fancy honeymoon. The only person she'd needed there was him. And their daughter, of course. They finished out the week in the little house, getting out of bed just to eat.

She knew Deacon was anxious to put this part of his life behind him, but, as they drove out of town, headed back to Nashville, she felt a vague sadness, knowing this time in their lives was over. It had been as though they'd been wrapped up in a little cocoon and, even though he'd been in rehab most of that time, it felt like it was just the two of them. The rest of the world didn't intrude and they'd had time to work on the things that mattered. And now they were headed home, to wait for their daughter, to be a family, the way they were always meant to be.

 _ **~2010~**_

Rayna looked again at the picture. She smiled at how young they looked. _We looked so happy, so ready for the future._ Nothing was ever completely easy for the two of them, but doing it together had made it all worthwhile. Of course, there had been all the recriminations from Tandy and her father when they'd come back to Nashville married. The fact that she was eight months pregnant had been fodder for the gossip magazines for a few weeks. But just as she'd told Deacon, there was plenty to do to get ready for Madeline Virginia Claybourne, the name they'd decided on the last day they were in North Carolina. Although she had some clothes for the baby, she had nothing else, and they'd spent many hours choosing baby furniture and getting all the little things a newborn needed.

He'd taken such good care of her, attending to her every need. The day she went into labor, he'd been frantic, running around trying to finish up all the things still not complete before they headed for the hospital. Everything they'd gone through, all the work they'd put in to get to that point, had been worth it when she'd watched him hold Maddie for the first time. She had smiled as she'd watched him tearfully kiss their tiny daughter softly on her forehead and tell her how much he loved her. And the second time around, when Daphne came, it was just as special.

The door to the suite opened just then and she looked up to see Deacon walk in. She smiled at him. "Hey, babe," she said.

He walked over to sit next to her, planting a kiss on her lips. "Hey." He reached for her hand. "What you got?" He pulled the photo from her fingers and smiled. "Wow. We look a little scared there."

She laughed. "Really? Scared? I just thought we looked excited." She leaned in and brushed her lips against his. "Were you scared?"

He grinned. "Damn straight." He shook his head, looking at the ceiling, then back at her. "I mean, you were eight months pregnant and I didn't know what to do. I was so scared I'd screw it all up."

She gave him a look of surprise. "After all that talk about wanting to be a part of everything? You were worried?"

He nodded. "Damn, baby, back then, more than anything, I just wanted to get you in bed. God, I'd missed you so much."

She pretended to be shocked. "So it wasn't that you wanted to support me and be a father to our baby, it was that you wanted sex?"

He laughed. "It was all of that, Ray. But, _damn_ , that was hard. Looking at you every time you came to visit and not being able to do nothing about it."

She leaned in to kiss him. "It's a good thing I love you so much." She ran her fingers through his hair. "I do think we have a little time before we need to leave for sound check though."

He grinned at her, then stood up, taking her by the hand and led her back to the bedroom.


	2. Chapter 2

_**So several reviewers asked for a little more, so I wrote Deacon's perspective on his life with Rayna, after she came for him in rehab. This tracks more after they're married and adds some of what happens between Maddie's birth and Daphne being born. Hope you enjoy!**_

 _ **~2010~**_

When the alarm went off, Rayna rolled over with a groan. "What the hell time is it?" she mumbled.

Deacon chuckled and kissed the top of her head as she tried to tuck into his chest. "It's time to get the girls up," he said. He gently grazed his knuckles over her arm. "Why don't I get 'em up and you lay here for a few more minutes?" As much as he and Rayna both loved being out on the road, they loved being home with their girls even more. They had gotten back to Nashville late, but still went by Lamar's to pick up Maddie and Daphne so they could tuck them into their own beds at home.

She turned her head so she could look at him, her eyes still half-closed. "Would you really do that, babe?" she asked, with a sleepy smile.

He slid his hand up to her cheek and stroked it lightly, then pushed back her hair. "For you, I would," he said. He turned on his side towards her and lightly brushed her lips. "I'll take care of getting 'em to school and you can sleep in."

She smiled at him. "You're the best husband, you know that?" she purred.

He raised his eyebrows and grinned. "I do know that," he said. She slid her hand under the sheet and stroked him lightly. "Hey," he admonished as he grabbed her hand and moved it away. "You'll have to save that for later."

She made a protesting noise. "You're no fun," she said, with an exaggerated pout.

He slid out of the bed and pulled on the t-shirt he'd dropped on the floor. "We have all day after I drop off the girls," he said, reaching for his jeans.

She rolled over onto her back, pulling the sheet up to her neck. "Not really. I've got to meet with Bucky down at the label," she said, with a grimace. "Album release stuff."

He looked at her. "You need me to go with you?" he asked.

She shook her head. "You hate that stuff. It's okay." She smiled. "Maybe we can meet for lunch?"

He winked. "That I can do. Now, let me get the girls up." He headed for the door.

"You really are the best husband, babe!" she called out after him and he laughed as he walked out.

* * *

He was in the kitchen, fixing bowls of cereal and pouring orange juice, when Maddie and Daphne ran in and climbed up on the stools at the counter. He set the cereal bowls in front of them. "There you go, lady bugs," he said with a grin.

Daphne tilted her head slightly. "Dad?" she said. "You make the best cereal."

He laughed. "Well, thank you, sweetheart. I try."

Maddie made a face at her sister, then turned to him. "Maybe now that you and Mom are home, you can go get pancake stuff." She smiled. "Paw Paw's cook does not make great pancakes."

"Yours are the best!" Daphne shouted, her mouth full of cereal.

He frowned at his youngest. "No talking with your mouth full, Daph."

Daphne swallowed. "Sorry," she said, her eyes down.

Maddie held her spoon up, using it for emphasis. "Dad, can we practice today?"

Deacon looked up from where he was getting lunches ready. "Maybe. Depends on what your mom is doing today," he said.

Maddie let out an exaggerated sigh. "We need to practice," she said.

He smiled. "Haven't you been practicing while we were gone?" he asked.

"Some. But we need you to help us. We need you to do the guitar stuff."

"Well, we'll see."

"Mommy, Mommy!" Daphne cried out then and she jumped down off the stool and ran to Rayna, who had just walked in with her hair pulled up and wearing a white bathrobe.

"My baby!" Rayna said, holding her arms open for Daphne. Deacon looked over and smiled as he watched his wife hug their younger daughter. He felt his breath catch in his throat. Even without makeup and her hair pulled up haphazardly, she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever known. He'd been in love with her more than half his life and he knew he was damn lucky to have her. Rayna looked at him over their daughter's head and smiled. "I bet y'all are glad to have your father making breakfast," she said.

"It's just cereal, Mom," Maddie said, rolling her eyes. "Even you could do that."

Rayna raised her eyebrows, as Deacon grinned. She walked over and hugged her older daughter. "Well, I won't be making yogurt parfaits again for you any time soon, missy," she said, with a wink. She looked back at Deacon. "Did you by any chance make coffee, babe?"

He nodded. "I did do that." He turned to the coffee maker and poured her a mug, then handed it to her.

She took it in both hands and took a sip, closing her eyes as she savored it. Then she smiled at him. "Just what I needed."

He put his hands on the counter and leaned towards the girls. "Okay, girls, coats and book bags so we can get to school," he said.

Maddie made a face. "Can't we stay home today, since you and Mom just got home?" she begged.

He shook his head and smiled. "No, you cannot. It's not like we won't be home for the next few months, so you can't miss school today. So, let's go!" The girls ran towards the stairs. He looked back at Rayna, who was smiling at him over her coffee mug, and cleared his throat. "I think I'm gonna go to a meeting after I drop them off. Then I'll be all yours once you're done with Bucky."

She walked over to stand at the counter and frowned a little. "You okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah. But it's been a couple days and I just need it." They both leaned towards each other for a kiss. "Just keeping my promise." She reached up and rubbed his cheek with her thumb. Just then the girls came running down the stairs and they both turned towards them.

"We're ready!" Daphne cried, running up to Rayna. "Bye, Mom."

Rayna leaned down for a hug. "Bye, baby." She turned to Maddie and gave her a hug as well. "Bye, sweet girl. I'll see y'all this afternoon."

Deacon picked up the girls' lunches and then walked over to kiss Rayna. "I'll call you," he said. Then he followed the girls out the back door.

* * *

Deacon put his hand out the window to wave at the girls, as they turned one last time to wave furiously at him. He smiled to himself as he watched them run the rest of the way to the front door of the school. He had given Rayna a little bit of a hard time when she originally decided to send Maddie to an exclusive private school, but it had been good for both the girls. He breathed in as he considered how lucky he was to have this family. He had definitely not given Rayna much reason to have faith in him, back when she sent him off to rehab for the fifth time. But she had taken that chance and he was determined that it pay off, for all of them. Which was the reason for never going more than three days without going to an AA meeting.

He had grown up not believing he deserved a good life or happiness or a family to come home to. It was part of the reason he drank, that and the fact that his own father had been a drunk. Drinking covered up pain and drinking kept him from being disappointed, in case life didn't work out. When he'd met Rayna, she had stood before him like a goddess, someone so out of his world, and yet she'd fallen in love with him too. That she'd stayed with him, long after she shouldn't have, seemed to get lost in his need to drink, in the dark hole he kept being dragged into.

He'd been certain, when she walked away from him that last time, that he'd used up all his chances, so when she had appeared that Sunday afternoon at Rockview, he'd known he needed to make that one count. It hadn't always been easy and he'd still felt like he was being pulled back into that hole sometimes, but the memory of walking through that door and looking around the room and then seeing her standing there, looking so hopeful, that was what he carried with him every day.

These days, life for the Claybourne/Jaymes family was a lot easier. Rayna's career had soared and she was the indisputable Queen of Country Music, with sold-out headlining tours and platinum albums. The two of them had developed a rhythm, both for their personal lives as well as their public ones. There were still challenges, but they were more manageable now, unlike the first few years of their marriage, where it felt like they kept having to right the ship. He was sure they would face more, when the girls hit their teenage years, but life was good these days.

As he pulled out of the school drive and headed across town to his meeting, his mind went back to the day he and Rayna drove out of the small town where he'd done his last rehab assignment, the day their lives truly began.

 _ **~1999~**_

"This is it, baby," he said, with a grin. "Mr. and Mrs. Claybourne, on their way back to Nashville." He looked over at Rayna, bundled up against the cold in the passenger seat. It had been so long since he'd driven that she'd handed the keys to him as they'd walked out the door of the little bungalow she'd rented in Scotts Grove. He thought the real reason she'd let him drive, though, was, at eight months pregnant, sitting behind the wheel was getting uncomfortable.

She looked over at him and smiled. " _You_ can call me Mrs. Claybourne all you like," she said, with a laugh. "But to everyone else, you know I'm still Rayna Jaymes." She reached over and rubbed his arm.

"Oh, I know, baby, but I do like how it sounds." He reached for her hand, threading his fingers through hers. "You are gonna let our little Maddie be a Claybourne though, right?"

She tightened her fingers around his. "Of course." She rubbed her belly with her other hand. "I think she's gonna be proud to be a Claybourne." She sighed. "Of course, not everyone's going to be so thrilled."

He glanced at her. He knew she was thinking about sharing the news with her father and sister. She had decided to wait until they were back in Nashville to spring the news on them. _No sense spoiling things before we have to,_ she'd said. "It don't matter what they think, Rayna," he said, with a frown. "Long as we're okay with it, that's all that matters."

She worked her lip. "I know," she said, a little pensively. Then she turned to him. "But you know, this was what I wanted. I've always wanted to be your wife and raise up our children together."

He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. "I'm gonna be a good husband and a good father, baby. I promise."

He would never tell her how scared he was that day. He knew he was jumping back into the fire, going back to Nashville. It wasn't just that he knew Rayna wouldn't have any support system, that Lamar and Tandy would be angry with her decision to marry him, but, for all his bravado and his desire to exit the program at Rockview, there had been a comfort in that environment. That she had been there for most of it, by his side, supporting him, had, in many ways, been the best of all worlds. He'd had the structure and discipline he needed to navigate his demons and figure out ways to cope and she had been there for him to talk to and draw strength from. It had just been the two of them, with no outside influences or distractions, and it seemed they'd only grown closer during that time.

Now they were headed back to all the temptations he hadn't had to face, and he hoped that having her by his side would keep him strong. He glanced over at her, as she gazed out the window at the passing scenery. He wondered what was going through her mind, now that they were on their way home. His eyes quickly glanced downward, as he considered the child she carried. _Their_ child. His heart seemed to be in his throat as he thought, yet again, how blessed he was that she'd come to him and told him she'd wanted to do this with him. Go through this together, raise their daughter together. It had been a dream come true, but it was also overwhelming to think about being a father. But he wasn't going to let her down. He'd made a promise and it was one he intended to keep.

* * *

"Oooh," she moaned, as she sat up in the bed.

"What's the matter, baby?" he asked, as he watched her rub her back.

She made a face. "My back hurts," she said. She moved to sit on the edge of the bed, her hand still pressed against her lower back.

He sat up. "You want me to do something?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I'll be okay. Maybe I'll take a bath. That might make me feel better."

He smirked. "Well, call me when you need me to help you out," he said. She loved taking baths these days, but he always had to be close by to help her get out of the tub. Once she'd gotten herself into the tub, she had a hard time maneuvering her way out, now that she could give birth at any time.

She looked back at him and made a face, then got up and slowly made her way to the bathroom. He sat back against the headboard and smiled to himself as he heard her turn on the water. He closed his eyes for a moment, until he heard her say, "Oh." He frowned, thinking that didn't sound good. Then she called out, "Deacon?" He thought he heard a little bit of panic in her voice.

He jumped out of bed and ran to the door, where he saw her standing by the tub, an odd look on her face. "What's going on?" he asked.

She looked at him, her eyes wide open. "My water just broke."

* * *

Even though they'd been to childbirth classes the last few weeks – the fast track version, Rayna laughingly had referred to it – he wasn't prepared for the reality of Maddie being born. They'd only been back in Nashville for less than eight weeks and much of that time was spent getting a nursery ready to bring their baby home to. They hadn't talked at all about logistics, before the drive home, confirming only then where home would be.

 _Rayna turned to him about midway through the drive with a panicked look on her face. "Deacon, where are we going?"_

 _He looked at her and grinned. "Nashville, baby," he said._

 _She shook her head. "No, I mean, where are we going to live? I gave up my apartment before, well, you know." She looked away._

 _He breathed in. He supposed she'd moved in with Conrad at some point, but he could tell she didn't want to say that. He hadn't thought about him since right after she'd told him she was pregnant. He'd told himself it didn't matter, that while she may have thought about marrying Teddy, she'd ultimately chosen him. He breathed out. "We'll live in our house, Ray," he said quietly._

 _She looked back at him and gave him a hopeful smile. "I like that," she said. "Our house."_

Rayna had been in control from the moment they'd left the house for the hospital. He had felt out of his depth, like he was just unwittingly along for the ride. Even through the pain of contractions, she had been focused. All he'd felt was scared. It was different, now, watching her labor to deliver their daughter. He suddenly realized this was real, even though he'd watched her body change over the weeks and months, had felt Maddie kick and roll over, had enjoyed all the preparations, because they were doing it all together. But this was something she was doing by herself and he was scared.

He held her hand, answered her when she spoke to him, all the while staring almost wild-eyed at what was transpiring in front of him. When the doctor told her to push one more time, she did, squeezing his hand and crying out with her effort. And then, there she was, screaming at the top of her lungs. _Maddie._ His daughter. _Their_ daughter. Rayna was laughing and crying at the same time as a nurse placed the tiny baby in her arms. She looked up at him, smiling, and he smiled back, but inside he was terrified. He wanted a drink, he wanted to run, he didn't know if he could really do this.

* * *

He left the hospital when Tandy and Lamar came to visit, calling Coleman and asking him to meet him at a meeting. He sat, not hearing anything that was being said, as his mind spun in circles. Coleman nudged him and then nodded towards the front. Deacon took a deep breath and pushed himself up from his chair, walking slowly to the podium. He stood there, looking out over the sparse group, not completely sure what he wanted to say. He cleared his throat, rubbed his hand over his mouth, and rocked back and forth on his feet.

Finally he looked out at the faces in front of him, holding on to the podium. "My name is Deacon and I'm an alcoholic." The group responded back to him. "I been sober right at eight months." He breathed in. "Today my wife and I had a baby girl." There were murmurs of congratulations and some clapping, and he smiled nervously. "She's gonna be a really good mama. She was born to do that. But me, I don't know. I never learned how to be a daddy and I'm really scared. I wanna be a good father to my daughter, Maddie's her name, and raise her up right, but I didn't have any kinda role model for this. My wife, well, she has a lot of faith in me and I don't wanna let her down." He squeezed the podium and looked down for a moment. "This is my big chance, to be the man she needs me to be and to be the kinda father Maddie needs. I really want a drink right now, which is why I'm here. I can't mess this up." He breathed in again. "Thanks." Then he walked straight through the room and out the door.

He was standing at his truck, breathing in and out slowly, when Coleman caught up to him. His sponsor put his hand on his shoulder. "You can do this, Deacon," he said quietly.

Deacon looked at him. "You sure?" He shook his head. "'Cause I'm not. This is too important and I think I'm in over my head."

"No, you're not. You and Rayna worked hard at this and she has faith in you. You got everything you wanted now. You got Rayna and you got that beautiful baby daughter. A family. They love you and they'll be right there with you. I know you can do this."

He nodded. "I have to. I want to." And he did. He wanted this more than anything he'd ever wanted in his life.

When he got back to the hospital, Rayna looked up as he walked in the room, and she smiled. "There you are," she said. "I think Maddie wants her daddy to hold her for a while."

He took a deep breath. His heart filled up with love for this woman, holding their daughter, looking so happy and hopeful for their future. He walked over to her and carefully took Maddie from her arms. He walked with her to the window. He looked down at her, as she stared up at him with her serious dark blue eyes. He loved her so much already and he promised himself he'd fight his demons every day for the chance to be a good father for her. He pointed out the window. "The whole world is out there for you, sweet girl," he said. "And I'm gonna be there every single day to make sure you see all of it." He leaned down and kissed her forehead and thanked God he had the chance to be part of her life.

 _ **~2000~**_

The day they left the hospital with Maddie, Rayna had looked at him and said, "I'm gonna want to do this again, you know." Clearly she'd seen the panic in his eyes, because she'd laughed and said, "Not right away, silly. Maybe in a couple years. But I do want Maddie to have a sister or brother one day. Don't you?" He had breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. _Sure. One day._

But it was mid-January, just after Maddie had turned nine months old, and they were in Chicago. Rayna hadn't felt well, although she'd pushed through it on stage, the way she always did. She'd gone out herself to a nearby drugstore, something she would normally have sent one of the assistants to do. When she came back, she'd sat down on the couch next to him. She sighed. He didn't like the look on her face.

"What's the matter?" he asked, frowning.

She teared up a little. "I know we didn't plan for this to happen now, but I think I might be pregnant."

His eyes widened and he breathed in. "I thought, you know, we were okay." He swallowed. He'd finally gotten used to Maddie's routine and he felt pretty confident in his ability to take care of her. The fear he'd had right after she'd been born had subsided. She'd been a good baby and things had settled down. But this made his anxiety level skyrocket.

"I know," she said. "But nothing is ever a hundred percent." She smiled a little shyly. "Plus, there've been some times when we weren't as careful as we should have been."

That was true. And he blamed himself, because Rayna was pretty irresistible, especially after a show. And it wasn't like she'd pushed him away. "But you don't know for sure," he said.

She held up the bag. "I bought a pregnancy test. But it feels like it did with Maddie. I feel the same way." She reached for his hand. "What are you thinking about this?"

He took a deep breath and squeezed her hand. "It feels soon, but, you know, if you are, we'll just deal with it." He leaned in and kissed her. "It's okay, Ray. It'll be alright."

She bit her lip. "So, I guess I should do this then." She sat for a minute longer, then got up and headed for the bathroom.

He got up and started to pace the living room of their suite. He peeked into the bedroom where Maddie was, but she was still sleeping. He had a gnawing feeling in his stomach. It really was too soon, but there was nothing to be done about it. He walked back to the bathroom and saw that Rayna had opened the door and was sitting on the edge of the tub. He raised his eyebrows. "Anything?"

She shook her head. "Waiting." She patted the side of the tub next to her. "Sit with me?" He did so and she slid her hand through the crook of his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Maybe it'll be good to get it all over with at once," she said softly. "And they'll be close in age, so that could be good." He didn't say anything, just turned his head and kissed the top of hers. He kept his eyes on the stick that lay next to the sink. Finally she sat up and reached for it. Then she looked up at him. "You ready for this?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

She turned it to face them and they both saw the two pink lines. She breathed out. "It's positive," she said. "I'm pregnant." She looked up at him. "Tell me what you're thinking."

He breathed in and then let it out. Then he smiled at her, a smile he wasn't sure he completely felt yet. "I'm happy, baby," he said. A happy smile crossed her face and he knew he would never tell her that he wished this weren't happening this soon.

* * *

When they got to the arena to get ready for sound check, Rayna's whole demeanor had changed. She didn't want to share the news yet, of course, but she couldn't stop smiling. Deacon tried to push his fear away, tried to get caught up in her excitement, but all he could think of was the fact that he was still navigating his sobriety path and that getting married and having a baby had been more to manage through than he'd expected. And now there was a new baby to think about.

Rayna was caught up with Bucky and he took the opportunity to slip out of the arena, to get some air. It was a cold day and he shivered, even with a heavy jacket on. His eyes teared up from the chilly breeze. He was starting to feel overwhelmed, as he thought about having a second baby in the mix. He loved Rayna and he adored Maddie, but there were still times he found himself feeling in over his head. What he'd said about Rayna, the day Maddie was born, was still true. She was born to be a mama and she made all of it look easy. They had gone back out on the road when Maddie was six months old and Rayna balanced all of it seemingly effortlessly.

There were many times he felt like he couldn't cope with it all, that trying to be a loving husband and a good father and stay sober, all at the same time, was like a dark cloud hanging over him. He still struggled with a desire to drink, although he used meetings to help work through that. He wanted to make Rayna proud of him, didn't want to disappoint her, wanted to prove to her she'd been right when she'd decided to make this commitment to him.

Eventually the cold got to him, his face feeling numb, and he was shivering. The sun was setting and he knew it must be close to time for sound check. He turned around and walked back inside and up to the backstage area. "Deacon!" He heard Rayna call out to him, worry in her voice, and he looked in that direction. She hurried over to him. "Where were you? I was looking everywhere." She stopped and looked at him. "Have you been outside? You look like you're freezing."

He nodded and tried to smile. "Yeah, I just needed some air. It is cold out there." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. "I need you to warm me up." She looked up at him, with a worried look on her face, so he smiled again. After a moment, she breathed out and then leaned against his chest, running her hands up his back. "I'm sorry if you were worried, baby. It's all good."

* * *

Maddie's cries on the baby monitor woke Deacon up. For a second he was disoriented, then remembered they were in a hotel in Cincinnati. He looked over towards Rayna's side of the bed but she was gone. He thought she might have gotten up with Maddie, so he closed his eyes. But when Maddie's cries continued, he frowned.

Pushing back the sheets, he sat on the edge of the bed and reached for his jeans. He got up and pulled them on, then padded out to the sitting area of the suite. In the dim light he saw Rayna sitting on the couch, her back to him. "Ray?" he said softly. She didn't answer and he frowned. But Maddie was still crying, so he went in the other room for her.

"Hey, baby girl," he said, as he opened the door. Maddie was standing at the crib rail, her little face blotchy with tears. She raised one hand for him and he lifted her out of the crib. He changed her and put her in clean clothes, then walked back out of the room.

With Maddie on his hip and happier, he walked over and sat down next to Rayna, rearranging Maddie on his lap. When he looked at his wife, he felt a quiver of concern as he saw the tears on her face. "Ray? What's wrong, baby?" he asked, rubbing her back with his hand.

She breathed in, then sighed, turning to him. Her face screwed up as the tears started fresh. "I lost the baby," she wailed.

He felt a tightening in his chest. "What? Are you sure?" He reached for her hand.

She squeezed his fingers and nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. I woke up about an hour ago and I had some cramping. And then…I knew."

He swallowed hard. It was so early and they hadn't known but for a few days, but he wanted to cry with her. After the initial shock of it, he'd adjusted to the idea of another baby, and had started to look forward to being more involved this time around. "Do we…do we need to do anything?" he asked, choking on a sob.

"I called my doctor and she said I should go to the hospital, just to have everything checked out." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "And then we can go home." She wiped her face. "Deacon, I just want to go home." She started to cry again and he pulled her closer. Maddie reached for her and she took the little girl onto her lap, hugging her tightly.

"I'll, uh, call Bucky and we'll reschedule as many dates as you need."

She looked at him again and nodded. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "It's okay. It's not your fault." He leaned over and kissed her. "We'll get things checked out and then we'll go home. We'll take however much time you need."

 _ **~2001~**_

Even though Rayna said she wanted to try again to get pregnant, they left that alone for a while. She had recovered physically very quickly and, after postponing three weeks' worth of shows, they headed back out on the road. Getting back to performing seemed to lift her spirits and before long, they were both back on track. Deacon had felt a twinge of guilt initially for feeling so conflicted in the beginning, but going through the sadness together seemed to help them both feel strengthened in their commitment to each other and his continued commitment to his sobriety.

He was feeling more confident every day. He was working towards three years sober and he felt stronger all the time. So, just after Maddie turned two, when Rayna confirmed she was pregnant again, he felt ready from the outset. He knew, though, that she was holding her breath, hoping to make it past the date where she'd miscarried and to a point where she felt more sure this would be that brother or sister for Maddie. When they found out it was a boy, it finally felt real.

They had bought a new house in a gated community outside of Belle Meade. It was fancier than Deacon would have liked, but Rayna loved the house, with all the space they could possibly need. They were taking a tour break while she was pregnant, and she spent most of her time working on the nursery. It was also a hot summer in Nashville, so when she wasn't doing that, she would spend time in the pool with Maddie. He loved watching Maddie with her little water wings.

Late one night, they walked out to the pool together and sat on the edge with their feet dangling in the water. Rayna tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and leaned against him. "I hate to say it out loud, but everything just feels so right, doesn't it?" she asked.

He smiled. "We got a good life, that's for sure," he said. She turned her head to look up at him and he leaned down to kiss her, moving his other hand to caress her belly. When he let her lips go, he felt tears in his eyes. "I got everything I ever wanted, baby. Right here."

She smiled. "You know what I miss though?"

"What's that?"

"I actually miss that little house we stayed in those few days, back in North Carolina. And even though I know it was hard, because you were at Rockview, I miss that time, when it was really just you and me, when the rest of the world couldn't interfere."

He nodded. "If it wasn't for that, we might not have gotten here."

"I'm proud of you, Deacon," she said. "So proud."

He smiled shyly. "I couldn't've done it without you, Ray."

She shook her head. "Yeah, you could. You always had it in you to do it." She smiled and took his hand. "I think you just finally had a chance to see why it was important."

He could feel all his emotions coming to the surface. "I just wish I hadn't disappointed you all those years. I caused you so much pain and I never meant to do that."

"I know. But it wasn't just you. We both struggled." She sighed. "You know, I wasn't sure I was doing the right thing when I came to see you then. I just knew pretending Maddie wasn't yours wasn't the right thing to do. I needed to give you the chance to be a father to her." She smiled. "And I was right. I _did_ do the right thing. You really stepped up and you've been my partner, even when I know it was hard."

He looked down. "It ain't been that hard," he said softly.

"Yeah, it has. I _know_ it has. I've seen it in your face, Deacon." He looked at her, but he saw no judgment in her eyes. "I love you so much more because you pushed through it anyway. Even when you were afraid you couldn't do it, you did. Because you love me and you love Maddie. And you're gonna love our son the same way."

He breathed in, raising his eyebrows. "God, Rayna, I didn't want you to see that," he said.

She shook her head. "It's okay, babe. I've been scared too. I know you think I know exactly what I'm doing, but I don't always. And you're better at this than you give yourself credit for. You take good care of us." She laughed a little. "We just have to do the best we can. And we'll do it together."

He looked at her for a long minute, then took her in his arms and kissed her. He let his hand roam over her as he pulled her in closer and she did the same. When she pulled back, finally, she looked into his eyes and whispered, "I need you, babe, to take care of _me_. Now." He stood up and then reached for her hand, pulling her up with him. He kissed her tenderly, then took her hand and led her up to the house.

* * *

It was two weeks later when Rayna sat up suddenly, in the middle of the night, waking Deacon. He opened his eyes and could see her in the dim light. "What's wrong, Ray?" he asked sleepily. He knew something was wrong, he could see her tension.

"Something's not right," she said, her voice sounding a little strange.

"What do you mean?"

She made a little noise. "Something's not right with the baby."

He frowned, then sat up and looked at her. She was cradling her belly with her hands. "I don't understand."

She turned to look at him, her eyes both wide and filled with sadness. "He's not moving."

He rubbed his face. "Don't babies sleep?" He was sure he'd read that somewhere in one of the books he'd read. That babies didn't move all the time.

"Yeah, they do, but he hasn't moved since yesterday morning. Something's wrong." She looked at him tearfully. "This can't happen again," she whispered.

He breathed in and out. "Baby, we don't know anything right now. We can call the doctor…." He swallowed hard. "You're five months pregnant. This just don't happen now, right?" He felt dread pour over him. The last time it hadn't seemed real. She'd been just a few weeks pregnant and they hadn't had time to really get excited or start planning. But this time they'd had all these weeks and months to get ready. She looked pregnant, like she had when she was pregnant with Maddie. They even had a name – Austin David. It was real.

She started to cry. "I don't know. But I think something's really wrong, Deacon."

He slid over and pulled her into his arms and she leaned against his chest. He rubbed her arms. "Let's call the doctor, okay?" he murmured. "Maybe it's not."

* * *

But it was. When they got to the hospital, Rayna's doctor had sadly told them there was no heartbeat. He held her while she cried and then later, after they were home again, he'd taken Maddie to stay with Tandy for a few days so Rayna could get some rest. He wasn't sure what to say, so he'd busied himself with taking care of her, trying not to focus on himself. But one afternoon, while she was taking a nap, he'd gone out to the pool and sat in one of the deck chairs and cried.

He cried for the loss of their son. He cried because Rayna was so sad and so scared of ever having another baby. He cried for Maddie, who didn't really know what was going on, but had screamed for them as Tandy had taken her away. He cried because he knew if he didn't let himself finally feel the pain of the loss, he wouldn't be able to get through it. When he'd started to feel the craving, the voice of his group leader from Rockview had come into this head. _One of the things an addict needs to do is acknowledge what's happening around him or her. All the feelings that cause you to want to cover them up with alcohol or drugs, because you don't want to feel that pain. Those are the times when you need to stand and face it. Because if you don't, that's when you'll fall._ And he didn't want to fall. Rayna needed him. Maddie needed him.

He was startled by the hand on his arm. He looked up into Rayna's face, filled with concern. "Baby, are you okay? Do you need something? I thought you were sleeping, so I just thought I'd come out for some air," he said, as he started to rise.

She walked around him and sat in the chair next to him and patted his arm to get him to sit back down. "Are _you_ okay?" she asked, not answering his question.

He nodded, blinking hard to keep the tears from falling. "Yeah. I'm okay." He tried to smile.

She reached out then and put her hand on his cheek and then rubbed the dampness under his eye with her thumb. "No, you're not." She gave him a small smile. "It's okay to feel sad, babe."

He shook his head. "I need to be strong for you, Rayna. You just…you just lost a baby. I need to be strong for _you_."

She breathed in and moved her hand to cover his. "Deacon, you lost a baby too," she said softly. "It wasn't just me." Then she got up and moved to sit in his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his. He wrapped his arms around her waist and they cried together. When they finally seemed to run out of tears, she moved back to the chair beside him and grabbed his hands. "We'll be okay," she said. "I think maybe we need to start writing, or something. Give us something to do. Maybe we'll work on a record."

He wondered if it was too soon for that, but then this was how she coped. She got focused and he knew then that she'd get them past this. She wouldn't let it keep them down for long. He squeezed her hands. "Maybe we should go somewhere for a little while. Take Maddie. Get away," he said.

She smiled sadly. "I'd like that. I think that would be exactly the right thing to do."

 _ **~2003~**_

They got through the loss of their son. They took Maddie to California, to a place north of San Francisco, along the Pacific. They took walks on the beach and they let Maddie put her feet in the ocean, and they smiled as she screamed at the chilliness of the water. They sat on the deck of the house they rented and watched the sun set in the evening, as they held hands. They healed and they wrote songs and they learned to laugh again. When they came home they had enough for a record, which they recorded and put out after New Year's. They hit the road and put all their energy into each night's show, touring for nearly a year.

Then early one August morning two years after they lost Austin, just as the sun started to peek over the horizon, Rayna gave one last push, and Daphne Jaymes Claybourne was born, squealing with life. After she'd been cleaned off, the nurse handed her to Deacon, who was laughing and crying at the same time. He walked her over to Rayna and, before handing her off, kissed his new daughter gently on the forehead.

As he watched Rayna coo at their daughter, counting all her fingers and toes, then kissing her gently just where he had, he felt overcome with a million emotions. For a while he'd thought Rayna would never be in a place where she would risk having another baby. She'd made the topic off limits for months after the death of their son and, even when she finally contemplated the possibilities again, she was terrified.

He had made peace with the idea that they might never have another child, that Maddie might be an only child. He'd been content with the idea that they might just be a family of three. He loved Rayna too much to want her to have to go through that emotional roller coaster again. No matter that, as a father, he'd suffered those two losses as well, she was the one who'd carried them inside her. Those babies had been part of her and he understood how painful it might be for her.

So when she told him on Christmas morning that she was pregnant again, they both tried to be positive. They were thankful for each successive day and, when Rayna finally got past the five month mark, they allowed themselves to be cautiously optimistic. He didn't want to say it out loud, but this time had reminded him so much of all those weeks and months they'd waited, together, for Maddie to come. And now that Daphne was here, they could let go of the fear and the anxiety they'd lived with, and enjoy their baby girl.

 _ **~2010~**_

Deacon was brought back to the present by the buzzing of his phone. "Hey, baby," he answered, with a smile.

"Hey," Rayna said. "You still want to meet me for lunch?"

"Sure. Where?"

"How about home?"

He laughed. "I think that sounds pretty perfect," he said. "See you there."

* * *

Rayna curled into his side, her head on his chest, her hand resting on his abdomen. He had one arm around her shoulders and his other hand on hers. "I think this was the perfect place for lunch," he said, with a grin.

She laughed. "I do too." She stretched her leg and slid it over his. "I'm so glad to be home. With our girls."

"Me too." He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling thankful for his family. He thought, as he often did, how lucky he was that Rayna had come to North Carolina all those years ago, that she hadn't truly given up on him. They'd gone through many highs and lows, but life was pretty damn good these days.

"So, what do you think the girls are planning for our anniversary?" she asked. "They seemed so secretive."

He smiled to himself. "I guess you're just gonna have to wait and see," he said.

She raised her head up and looked at him. "Wait. You know what it is, don't you?"

He lifted his eyebrows and then looked away. "I'm not saying a word," he said.

"Deacon! Tell me."

He looked back at her. "It wouldn't be a surprise then, would it?" he teased.

She snuggled back into him. "I guess it wouldn't," she said.

He rubbed her arm and breathed in. "We got really lucky with those two, ya know, Ray? We got the family we always wanted," he said.

She was quiet for a few moments, randomly running her index finger over his chest. "Yeah," she said finally. "I wonder sometimes about how it could have been, but then I realize everything is the way it's supposed to be. That even the pain we went through led us to this."

He put his other arm around her and hugged her close. "I never told you, Ray, how scared I was. Every time something happened, I was scared I was gonna disappoint you."

She turned her head and brushed her lips against his chest. "I knew," she said quietly.

He looked down at her. "How?"

She moved so that she could look at him full on. "That was what all my sessions with the counselor at Rockview were about. She really helped me understand more of what you went through. And would go through. She helped me understand my part in all the times you'd fallen back into old habits and…."

He scowled. "That wasn't on you, Rayna. That was on me."

She shook her head. "Deacon, I never knew what to do to support you. I'd put so much pressure on you every time and, when you would lapse, I'd just make it worse by turning my back. Or being angry. Or walking away. I never ever thought about how hard it would be for you, especially in the beginning. And she also helped me understand that you would have extra pressure knowing I was pregnant. Wanting to be there for us."

He felt a lump in his throat. "I did want that, baby. I wanted to be there for you."

She smiled. "I know. I knew it before I ever told you. I just didn't really understand how much pressure it would put on you. So that's why I wanted you to finish the program, even though what I really wanted was for you to be there with me. I was doing all of that alone and it was scary and I needed you. But what I learned was that I was gonna need you for the long haul. And that was more important."

He bit his lip and ran his hand over her lower back. "I wish I could do things different," he said.

She put her hand on his cheek. "What would you change?" she asked.

"Everything," he said. She looked down. He breathed in. "Nothing." She looked back up at him. "I wouldn't change nothing."

She smiled and leaned in to kiss him. "Me either. And I knew, babe, that you were afraid you would disappoint me, when we lost our babies, but you didn't. You were right there with me and that made such a difference for me. I didn't have to do it alone."

"Why didn't you say anything?" he asked.

"Because it didn't matter. You stayed. You worked through what you thought would defeat you and you got stronger. Every time, you got stronger. And now we have all we ever wanted. We have Maddie. We have Daphne. And we have each other." She smiled at him.

He smiled back at her and then kissed her. He glanced over at the clock on the bedside table, then back at her. "And I think we got a little more time to ourselves before I gotta get the girls," he said, with a wink.

She grinned. "Then let's make the most of it," she said, laughing.

And they did.

* * *

Their eleventh wedding anniversary fell on a Saturday that year, which made things easier all the way around. After breakfast, the plan was to drop the girls off at their Aunt Tandy's, and then Deacon and Rayna would head to the cabin for their annual anniversary night celebration. Once all the overnight bags were by the back door, Maddie turned to her parents. "One more thing before we go," she said.

Rayna looked over at Deacon and then she smiled at her oldest. "And what would that be, sweet girl?" she asked.

"Follow us," Maddie ordered, and headed towards the den, Daphne following her.

Rayna looked at Deacon and he smiled at her, putting his arm around her shoulder. "I think we been so commanded," he said, with a wink. She put her arm around his waist and they followed their girls.

Daphne was sitting on the ottoman, which they'd pulled into the center of the room. Maddie was standing next to her, her arms crossed. When Deacon and Rayna came in, she uncrossed her arms and waved them to the couch. "Please sit over there," she said.

Deacon looked a little puzzled. "Me too?" he asked.

Maddie nodded. "Yes. This is for both of you," she said.

Rayna sat on the couch, her hands in her lap, looking expectantly at the girls. Deacon still looked puzzled, but sat next to her. Maddie walked over to one of the guitar stands and picked up the guitar that was there, walking over to her dad. "Dad, we still need you to play, but you can do it here," she said. She looked at her mom. "I'm still not very good and Dad is better, so we asked him if he would help us," she said.

Deacon chuckled. "You're better than you know, sweet girl," he said proudly. "But I'm happy to help."

Maddie looked down at her sister. "Stand up, Daph," she said, and Daphne did. Then she nodded at Deacon, who started the melody on his guitar.

The song the girls had chosen was their favorite song of the moment, a Taylor Swift song called 'Love Story' – _"because that's what you and Mom have, a love story_ ", Maddie had told Deacon – and he glanced over at Rayna as the girls started to sing.

 _We were both young when I first saw you / I close my eyes and the flashback starts / I'm standing there on a balcony in summer air / See the lights, see the party, the ball gowns / See you make your way through the crowd / And say hello_

He watched Rayna as she watched their daughters. He could see her eyes fill with tears, see her mouth open just slightly as she listened with awe to the sweet, childish, but surprisingly good, sound of their girls' voices. He himself was always blown away by how beautifully they harmonized, the perfect mix of the two. He felt his own emotions rising up as he continued to back them up on the guitar, all the while listening and watching.

 _So I sneak out to the garden to see you / We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew / So close your eyes, escape this town for a little while / 'Cause you were Romeo, I was a scarlet letter / And my daddy said "Stay away from Juliet" / But you were everything to me, I was begging you, please, don't go_

Rayna turned to look at him and he shook his head and gave her a small smile. She turned back, the smile on her own face growing. He closed his eyes for a moment, his heart filled with all the love he felt for these three. He was grateful to have had this chance and he thanked God for the woman who sat next to him, who believed he deserved all this.

He opened his eyes and smiled at his girls, with their angel voices. They both smiled at him as they finished their song.

 _He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said / "Marry me, Juliet, you'll never have to be alone  
I love you and that's all I really know / I talked to your dad, go pick out a white dress / It's a love story, baby just say yes"_

Rayna's hands went to her mouth and then she started clapping. "Oh, my gosh, that was so beautiful," she cried. She turned to Deacon. "Wasn't that beautiful?"

He was almost afraid to speak, for fear he would cry. "Yes, it was," he whispered. It was everything he'd ever wanted.

 _ **Now this is really THE END. Thanks for reading. Would love to know what you think.**_


End file.
